National Sexual Assault Conference begins in Pittsburgh

Published 1:09 PM ET Mon, 18 Aug 2014
Globe Newswire

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 18, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than a 1,000 people are expected to attend the National Sexual Assault Conference in Pittsburgh Aug. 20-22, to discuss relevant issues including creating safer college campuses, preventing sexual assault across the lifespan, informing work on sex offender management, and helping news organizations report on stories of sexual violence. This year's conference, "Many Voices, One Movement," will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

The three-day event is co-sponsored by Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and the Institute on Violence, Abuse & Trauma. The advocacy-based conference, held at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown, provides information, workshops and training opportunities.

The conference includes addresses by Bea Hanson from the United States Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and Delilah Rumburg, CEO of PCAR.

"It's important for us to come together to celebrate the successes made possible by the Violence Against Women Act, which has helped so many sexual assault survivors, and to plan together strategically for the next 20 years of response and prevention. This year, there are more than 100 workshops, so there's something valuable for everyone," said Joyce Lukima, NSVRC's Vice President of Services.

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) is the oldest and largest state anti-sexual violence coalition in the United States. Founded by PCAR in 2000, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) creates and disseminates resources to assist advocates, allies, and journalists working across the globe to address and prevent all forms of sexual violence.